


At the Reach of Their Fingers

by lazy_bird



Series: We Will Always Meet Again. [2]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Game of Thrones Fusion, F/F, F/M, GoT au, GoT modern au, Modern AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-25
Updated: 2020-01-16
Packaged: 2020-10-28 03:13:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,480
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20771597
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lazy_bird/pseuds/lazy_bird
Summary: After the incident in the Targaryen mansion, Daenerys and her brother left the town in order to start anew.This meant for both of them leaving the love of their lives.Daenerys never forgot about Sansa. She was the girl that would forever hold a place in her heart.After Daenerys changed her name ten years later, she became a writer and wrote a book that Sansa would eventually find.Sansa knew it was Daenerys and decided to pay a visit but only to let her know that she was proud of Daenerys without showing her face.Now knowing that Sansa was in the same city, how will Daenerys react?Will Sansa muster the courage to tell Daenerys about something very important in their family?Will these new people in their lives change them?Will the new threat finish what the old one started?





	1. Red

**Author's Note:**

> WARNING!  
DEPICTION OF VIOLENCE!!!
> 
> I can't believe I am going to do the second part of this story. Wow.  
To be honest, this isn't my best chapter but I had to start somewhere.   
Please, give it a chance and tell me what you think.  
It would probably be 15 chapters like the last one but it depends on how the plot continues.  
Thank you all for reading it!  
Have fun!

But it wasn’t  _ her  _ fiery  redhead .

Her arm grabbed a random girl who looked very much startled. After Daenerys apologized, she realized that it couldn’t have been Sansa. The dark roots were visible and her eyes were green, not blue. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest and her hands trembling.

So many years had passed and Sansa still made her feel like this. But it’s worse now, she realized. It was like the flood gates opened and now all her feelings and memories were spilling all over the place. Daenerys had to be honest with herself: she never thought of seeing Sansa again so she was never  prepared for that day to come.

Was this how karma was getting back at her?

Disappearing like that, only leaving a piece of paper explaining herself and never looking back?

Sansa did the same, right? She gave her the letter back and said she was proud but t hat was it? Daenerys’ letter said to not look for her . W as Sansa honoring that? How did she even find her?  She wasn’t  Daenerys Targaryen anymore. 

“What a mess...” she whispered and bit her nail.

“Miss  Stormborn ? I’m sorry but there are people waiting for you.” said the owner of the bookstore.

“Right, sorry.” 

Daenerys took a few extra seconds to keep looking but then turned her back and entered.

Sansa’s pace was fast but not steady. Her vision was blurry and she really didn’t know where she was going. She just kept walking as if the more she d id , the less she would want to turn back.  She couldn’t believe she did that.

Was she strong or a coward?

A little bit of both?

Strong for doing what she did , not showing her face, knowing that Dany’s hard would crumble in mere seconds but a coward because she knew that she herself would turn back into that weak teenage self from many years ago. 

What  could  she do now?

Both of them  were in the same city and she didn’t know how long Dany would be. The thought of her slipping through her fingers once more made her panting worse to a point that she had to take a break. 

Sansa leaned over a wall, closed her eyes and let the sounds of the city  overwhelm  her senses. Blocking anything else. She had so many questions , that’s for sure,  but long ago she had made peace with the fact that she would never get the answers . S he was in her right to ask them, even scream them , but she wasn’t that reckless anymore. Sansa was self-aware, studious and very observant. She  _ had _ to be.

The memories of that night had faded slowly from her mind and finally, she could sleep better but would she sacrifice that to see Dany again? Would she do that to Dany? No. That’s how much she loved her.

If it was bad for Sansa, it was worse for Dany, especially when she and her older brother fled after the murder. She would never compromise that. She knew the law and... it wouldn’t end well. 

Sansa continued walking but stopped as she felt her whole body go numb. Why didn’t she think about this before? Was the shock of reading the book so strong that she forgot about such important detail?

Does... Dany know about _ ... _ _ him _ _ ? _ Does her brother?

Daenerys arrived at her brother’s apartment. 

This was the  first of her tour and she made sure to do it in the city in order to rest before  continuing . He wasn’t there and she was relived. She knew that  Rheagar would know almost immediately that something happened and Daenerys wasn’t mentally prepared to give a full explanation.

She knew that he suffered too when they left. 

He had been all alone since then, no other women other than herself came here. Many tried and none succeeded. There was no moving  on  when it came to a Stark.

It was like a curse.

You fall in love with one and you can’t love another n o matter how hard they tried. There was something warm about them even if they seem cold in the exterior. Well, not Sansa. She always had a smile on her face. Her rosy cheeks, her long and red hair... well, Daenerys could go on forever when it came to her. 

There was no hope in another love when t here was no more to give. They were like an extinguished match that burned too strongly. 

What a lonely life they have lived.

Daenerys’ eyes drifted to her very first copy of her book. To think that Sansa actually got a copy of it and knew it was her. Was it a subconscious decision? Was her book her way of screaming to Sansa to come look for her?

She did base Princess Stella on Sansa but now that he looked at it better, she felt a bit embarrassed of herself for doing such an obvious thing. Not even through her work can she escape her. 

_ I found your Red Comet. _

_ I am so proud of you. _

_ Love, Princess Stella _

Daenerys had to give another copy to the girl in order to keep that one. She took that copy from her bag and opened it , touching  the blue inked letters with her fingers as if she was touching Sansa’s skin... very delicately. She even shivered. 

Knowing that having her so close made her go a bit crazed. She held that book so hard that it made indentations on the cover. In the back of her mind, she feared that the book too would leave, taking the only evidence of Sansa away from her.

She gasped when she realized what she was doing, took a deep breath and sat down.

That was also a curse.

A Targaryen  was born like a fine string on a verge of snapping. It could take years or it can take a moment for it finally snap and go down in madness. It happened to her father, it happened to Viserys many years ago and it could happen to her and it could happen to  Rheagar .

What a scary thought.

She couldn’t  breathe . 

Daenerys felt like two pairs of hands were gripping her throat. Choking her with all their might. No sound came from her mouth other than the desperate sounds of gurgling and gasps. She could feel her eyes getting wet and her body numbing.

There was a silhouette in the shadows but she could tell it was a man. Bigger and stronger than her. And there was hate there. In those eyes. In those bloodshot purple eyes. 

_ You don’t deserve the Targaryen name! _

His screams echoed through her mind. 

“Daenerys! Wake up!” someone shook her and she jumped from her bed, sweating, panting and screaming. “It’s just a nightmare!” said her brother.

“ Wha — ?” She was confused and scared.

“You were screaming!” 

Rhaegar looked so scared and worried. It deepened some of his expression lines. It ha d been so long since she had one of those dreams .

Daenerys touched her neck and sat at the edge of the bed. 

“I guess these will never end...” she sounded so defeated.

“And you were doing so good,” he sat down next to her. “Did... something happen?”

It was a good question. She wouldn’t have these types of dreams unless something reminded her of her past. It was worse when they were over the news when they fled and their father’s face was over the  television . Every time Daenerys saw him it would trigger something and she would end up screaming in her sleep.

Those few years were tough on both of them. 

But just  Daenerys shook her head. 

“I’m going to get a glass of water. You should go to bed. Thank you for waking me up.”

Rhaegar just sat there as he saw her sister disappear into the darkness of their home. He was tired. He missed  Lyanna and he wondered if this is going to be like for the rest of his life. Helping Daenerys was his mission and it looked like it was something that was going to keep happening for years to come.

But he was so tired.

And so lonely. 

“Get it together,” he whispered as he massaged his face . “She is the only family you have left.” 

The alarm went off and Sansa woke up to a new day. 

The sun was shining through her window and Essos was already awake as if it never slept. As if yesterday never happened. As if nothing mattered. As if what they went through as individuals didn’t compete with society. 

For the first time, Sansa felt lonely and pushed to the side.

Which  was such a funny thought considering that she was still practicing law. In a few months, she would graduate and pass the exam—yes, she  _ will _ pass. It was one of the things that she was certain she would do no matter the hardships.

She was a Stark after all and there was no room for failure. 

When she arrived to her class, she sat in front, as usual, and took out her things. Nothing less from the top of the class student and future judge. She even had a few nicknames: The Snow Queen, The Iron Lady, among others. Most were degrading but those she did like. 

Sansa had to learn the hard way that not always her wit and her pushy personality would get her further. They had to be hand in hand with hard work and that’s what she had been doing for all those years. She could be a woman but no one could take her efforts away.

The professor entered and looked at her.

“Miss Stark, may I have a word with you after class?” 

“Of course,”

“Very well, now everyone  settle down, at the end of the semester, all of you will have a case to work in front of a judge. This will determine if you pass the course. You will all be working in teams and will be handed individual cases. Pick and choose and if it takes too long, I will do the choosing. Now, take your books out and turn to page 159.”

The class ended and Sansa waited for the class to leave. 

She was asked to be in a team of one girl who was as criticized and ignored as much as Sansa was. Well, it was worse for that girl and Sansa didn’t have a problem with her at all, though they never spoke before. While Sansa was in the front row, the girl was in the back.

Her name was Brienne and she seemed serious when it came to law. Sansa was stubborn but Brienne was aggressive. Now that she thought about it, why did they never speak to each other before ? Sansa shrugged it off and went to her professor.

“Sansa, I have revised every essay, every test, every project you ever made and even had someone  one  to one conversation with your other professors and you are quite an excellent student. Remarkable.” 

“Thank you, professor,” he smiled.

“Now, I have a proposition for you, if you’d like,” Sansa waited for him to continue. “come work for me when you pass the bar  exam .”

Sansa was surprised and was loss of words and that made the professor chuckled.

“First I’ve seen Sansa Stark with no words to say,”

“I am just surprised,”

“I am sure you are,” 

“But, with all due respect professor, I am only interested in immigration and civil rights, not in criminal defense,”

“You have to start somewhere, miss Stark and, to be honest, this is a chance that not many women have come across. I saw your outstanding work and it would be a waste for you to be looking for firms to only be rejected over and over again.”

Sansa felt a pang in her chest and a bit of  embarrassment .

The professor stood up and opened the door for Sansa.

“Would you think about it? It’s not like you will be with me for the rest of your career. You have your own goals in life. Think about it,”

“Thank you,  professor ,”

“Please, the class has ended, call me by my name.” he smiled.

Sansa didn’t want to do that; he was still a professor and a future employer if she ever decided to accept. Plus, she didn’t want to make things awkward with this familiar i ty that he was showing. Maybe he was trying to be kind but  she preferred to keep things professional. 

Just because she was a woman didn’t mean that people had to take a softer approach.

“I don’t think that would be prudent, professor Baelish,” the smile never left. It only grew.

“I insist, please, call me Petyr.”

The dinner was set and both Daenerys and  Rheagar sat down and ate in silence. 

There was something about those siblings that they didn’t really communicate  much . She thought that their bond would, somewhat, be restored after he abandoned her and she did put an effort. Rheagar was the only family left and they only had each other.

Sometimes she wondered if what they did was correct. Running away, changing their names, leaving everything they loved behind. They did  love each other but there are things that they can’t give each other.

Would Daenerys do everything in her power to protect him? Of course! He proved himself and apologized for doing what he did when he was a teenager and she had forgiven him.

And  Rheagar would continue to be there for her through thick and thin but these are two individuals that were so  _ tired _ that they didn’t have the strength to get to know each other on a deeper level. 

Sansa was never mentioned after they left.

And  Rheagar never went into full detail  about  his life with Lyanna... he didn’t even mention her name. Their name came with huge baggage and the only thing they could do was to carry it together even if it meant doing it in silence. 

But Daenerys wanted to talk about Sansa with her brother. He knew what  s he meant to her. She was  a special kind of friend—more than  Missandei because  Missandei couldn’t give Daenerys what Sansa gave her .  Rheagar had a feeling of his sister’s inclination but he never asked. Sure, their family was a product of incest, something  that  was very frowned upon but so was same-sex couples. 

But Daenerys hesitated.

By talking about that girl and telling him that a Stark was around the area would probably set somethings in motion that neither of them was ready. Heck, Daenerys only had a piece of paper with Sansa’s handwriting and that messed her up a bit, imagine  _ seeing _ her. 

Imagine Rheagar...

“When is your next book tour?”

His voice snapped her back to the present.

“In a few weeks, I believe. I still have to go back to that book store and do another meeting and then go forth.” she paused and gripped her fork tightly. “I didn’t tell you this but there’s one in King’s Landing.”

Rheagar looked up for a moment but then continued eating.

“But I told my manager if  possible, to not go there,”  Rheagar nodded. 

“What did he say?”

“He told me that there is a large concentration of readers there and that it would be a  pity not to go since most of my sales come from there. I told him I would think about it.”

“I don’t think that’s wise.” 

“Do... do you think it’s time?”

“For what?”

“To go back?”

“We can never go back, Daenerys. Either way, there’s nothing there for us,”

“That’s not true.”

“Are we really going to have this conversation?” he was irritated.

“Yes, we are. We are two adults now,  Rheagar . I am not that little girl anymore and you have someone waiting for you,”

“Do not say that,” things were getting tense now. “We knew that leaving would be good and bad for us but we made that decision either way ,”

“It’s not fair!”

“Do not talk to me about fair!”  Rheagar looked away, hiding his face and the teary eyes. “I’m almost in my forties and I always imagined growing old with...” 

“Say her name,”

“Give me a break, Daenerys! I did this for you!”

“Is this your excuse now? If you haven’t noticed, I’ve made a name for myself, I can live alone now and not have any economic problems, it’s  _ you _ who will not let things go!”

“Let things go?” he scoffed. “You are still having  night terrors!”

“You can’t even say  Lyanna’s name! It’s time! What are you so afraid of?”

Rheagar stood up abruptly. 

“I am not going to that place ever again,” and then he left.

Daenerys wasn’t in the mood to go to sleep. Her conversation with her brother left her wide awake, with different thoughts and feelings. All she wanted was to get fresh air and so she did.

The night walk was refreshing and she could breathe again. She would not apologize for what she said but would try to have another conversation with her brother; this time more calmly because it was obvious that  Rheagar was  hiding something. 

And only the gods know how  done  s he was with s ecrets.

Then she heard the rhythmic sound of a bass and trumpets. Just a few feet away there was a jazz club where some young people were entering. She looked around and felt like maybe she needed to loosen up.

She wasn’t the type to dance unless someone was there with her to  encourage her. A smile spread over her face when she remembered her birthday and her prom. She really did have fun. The most fun she had ever had in her life. Daenerys knew that she wasn’t going to get that there but there was no reason not to enter.

The place was lively.

There was a band up in a stage, young people dancing and drinking and smoking with wide and flirty smiles.  Daenerys moved across the dance  floor and went directly towards the bar. 

This was good.

This was new.

This was distracting. 

She ordered a drink and then turned herself towards the crowd. The air was a bit misty because of the smoke but she could still see how  attractive everyone was. 

Especially a girl who was looking at her from across the floor. It was a tiny place so the space around them was limited. 

At first, Daenerys ignored her but that girl was persistent and she had to admit it if it wasn’t because her hair was long and red, there was no way Daenerys would have made any attempt. And by attempt  was that  the only thing she did was stare at her for more than needed, sending the signal.

The girl smirked and walked  in her direction and stood next to her.

“Hi,”

“Hey,”

“This is the first time I’ve seen you here,” the girl got closer. “You’re not from around here,”

“I come and go , ” the girl eyed her and Daenerys felt  her hungry gaze . 

Her heart was beating fas t . She knew that this girl wasn’t her Sansa and never will but it had been a long time since she got intimate with someone. Good thing this girl was taking the lead because she was bad at flirting. 

“What’s your name, darling?”

“Dany,”

“Nice to meet you, Dany. My name is—” but Daenerys stopped her but facing her.

She didn’t want to know the name. The illusion was perfect and something like a name would shatter that. Daenerys needed this release. 

“Want to go somewhere?”  said Daenerys, her fingers brus hing the girl’s skin .

“There are rooms here if you are interested,”

The girl with the red hair grabbed her hand and pulled her to the back of the club where she had to go through a beaded curtain, cross a hall with people kissing and pressing their bodies against each other. They stopped and the girl pushed aside a black curtain revealing a small room with a red lightbulb. 

It was as if she was in another dimension. 

“Get comfortable, honey,” she said as she  closed the curtain behind her.

Sansa woke up when someone tapped on her shoulder. 

It was the librarian telling her that they are about to close. 

She was at the library, studying and thinking about what her professor said. Was she really going to waste that opportunity? She was battling with her ego at this point. His words resonated in her mind—just because she was a woman her chance s of working was less than a mediocre man. 

Sansa sighed as she closed her book. She knew that even so, she had it better than most.

As she walked the streets, she noticed that there were police sirens and people gathering around an alley. She had no other choice but to pass them but she had a  glimpse . 

Sansa couldn’t help but  gasp  at the sight of a girl laying over the paved ground, her vacant expression looking right at her. It was too dark to see. This wasn’t the first time she had seen a dead body and the memories of that night made her dizzy.

This wasn’t the same, obviously. 

It was a girl this time and there was no blood and no man with a gun. But still, it brought her back to when she was at the Targaryen mansion all those years back. 

She had to leave.

Sansa walked away, fast and when she got to her home, she locked the doors and sat down, trying to breath steadily. What freaked her out the most was that that girl looked a bit like her.

When the girl, who was sitting on her lap touched her breasts, Daenerys moaned. 

That was the reaction the girl was looking for and went for between the legs.  But Daenerys stopped her. 

“This is good enough,” she panted. 

The girl pouted but continued kissing her. This was good enough, repeated Daenerys over and over again in her mind. A good make-out session was all she needed. And  after a few more minutes of intense kissing, the girl stopped.

“You are so cute and sexy, damn it but if you don’t want to  fuck, I am going to go find someone who does.” then she kissed Daenerys one last time and left the room.

“Fair enough,” Daenerys sighed and composed herself before leaving too.

The girl waltz over the dancefloor once again, looking for someone u n til she n oticed  a guy  looking at her. He was tall, with his hair combed to the side and was wearing sunglasses. The girl thought that was weird but shrugged it off when she guy smiled at her.

She found the one. 

Soon they were walking outside because he asked her if she wanted to go to his place. She said yes, thinking that she had nothing to do the day after and she could laze around. He was handsome, a bit shy and so her type. She couldn’t help but think that she got lucking tonight.

Kissed one heck of a sexy girl and now she was going to spend the night with a hot guy. 

She couldn’t wait to tell her girlfriends about it.

But then, after they reached an alley, he stopped.

“Is something wrong?”

“I think I’ve lost my way,” he smiled a bit embarrassed. “I’m new to the area and these streets look all the same to me.” she chuckled.

“It’s all right. I know these streets like the back of my hand. Do you remember something specific?” he thought about it.

“There was a bookstore?”

“You have to be more  speci —” and then  _ bam! _

The man punched her in the stomach making her drop to the ground, wheezing, confused and scared. The girl looked up as the man got closer and dragged her to the darkness. He wasn’t wearing his sunglasses now but her eyes were too blurry to make anything out. 

All she knew at that point was pain and dread.

“You really had to lay a hand on her, huh.” he got on top of her. “Disgusting.” he spat as he placed his hands around her throat. “She is  _ mine _ ,” and tightened  his grip .

That last thing this girl ever saw was the raw madness of two pair of purple eyes. 


	2. Letters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the late chapter but here it is.  
I gave you all a lot of information and I hope I didn't rush things.  
I am probably gonna take a while for me to finish this because of some issues with my country and the fact that I have other fics to finish.  
Hope that's ok!

Multiple papers were scattered over Daenerys’ desk; some were crumpled in balls, some were folded, some were filled with useless ideas and some were buried in notebooks and fan-mail and old pen pal letters. Pens and pencils didn’t have a stable place but only because there were on hands reach just in case Daenerys had to reach and continue writing. 

Her mind was a contradiction: blank but messy. 

She had read the newspaper about that girl and it was a reminder that _death _was something that kept following her for some reason. Chaos. Madness. No words came out of her mouth when she read the headline in bold letters and gasped; her brother asked her but she just stuttered and excused herself. 

Such a brutal death. 

Strangled. 

Left like a ragged doll, as if she was worthless. Her heart ached. For some reason, she felt unsafe and her thoughts were causing her to panic. Beads of sweat were on top of her forehead, the back of her neck was sticky and her fingers were twitching as if she was getting ready to run. 

No matter how much she felt bad for this girl Daenerys couldn’t help but think, _ what if it had been me? _

Her lips let out a shuddered breath. 

Daenerys reached with one hand and found a pencil and started brainstorming. The vomit of ideas where for nothing specific but she had to get them out. It was all over the place. Some words were circled, some had arrows pointing at one another and some were crossed over. 

Nothing made sense but she was on a roll. Paper after paper she kept writing and writing and writing, it was as if she wasn’t in control anymore. She could feel her lips getting dry but Daenerys didn’t stop not even for one drop of water. 

When she finished, she took a deep breath and leaned back on her chair. Daenerys’ specialty was fantasy, especially if they were aimed at a female audience. _ The Red Comet _was her biggest (and so far, her only) success and never once she ever thought about doing a mystery drama. 

It wasn’t her element but all the ideas were there and it wouldn’t be fair to throw it away. Daenerys decided that first thing in the morning she was going to pitch in the idea to her editor and see what he thinks. If he gives her the green light then she would be so busy that she wouldn’t be able to even think about anything. 

Not about the murdered girl... and not even about Sansa. 

Daenerys had to stop herself from forming an _ S _ on one of her papers. She had rejected Sansa from her life in order for both of them to live a normal life but what if—no! She will not do this to herself! 

“For fucks sakes...” 

“You say something?” 

The door was slightly ajar and her brother was pushing it open to see her better. He was ready to go to bed and that made her realize that it was past twelve. How long has she been writing? Did she even have dinner? Lunch? 

Her stomach answered that question for her. 

“No. I’m just hungry.” 

“You’ve been at it since this morning. Don’t push yourself too much.” 

“I’m fine. I just had to get some ideas out while they were fresh,” she looked over her messy desk and winced. 

Her brother yawned. 

“Okay. I’m going to bed. Good night.” 

“Night.” a sigh escaped her lips as Rhaegar left, dragging his feet. 

After eating two slices of bread and drank a cup of water, Daenerys went to bed and looked at her ceiling. She didn’t mind being alone but now she was feeling lonely. It had been a while since she got used to her own company, not operating on fear and finally getting to know herself better. 

Now that she had the freedom to do so, it was surprising to hear how much she enjoys and dislikes some things. There was no room in her old house—in her old life for her to have an opinion. There were rules and she had to follow them in order to survive. It was all she ever knew. 

Those ten years led her to read more, going to movies, buying records of music that she could turn up the volume and just immerse herself, to walk around and not be stared at because she was a Targaryen—the freedom of people not knowing who she was, was so liberating! A lot of that weight was lifted and she could finally breathe again. 

She avoided parks that were filled with children. It wasn’t that she didn’t like kids but there was part of her that envied them to a point of resentment. Daenerys hated that part of her and she knew that there were parts that she needed to work on. Her therapist was a great help. They listened to her and respected her privacy as one should. 

Her therapist knew that there were things that Daenerys was hiding (with good reason) and they told her that she couldn’t have the proper help if she wasn’t being honest. 

Daenerys still wasn’t comfortable with revealing her true identity so she told her story but omitting the names. That was the part where her therapist could give her the right tools to deal with her PTSD. She made a mental note to call them and make an appointment. There was no way she was going to keep all these emotions after knowing that Sansa was around. 

Daenerys needed someone to tell her what to do. 

Sansa woke up early in the morning—as she usually does—to start her morning and daily routine to get ready. First, she starts with washing her face with a pink soap bar that was good to make her face glow but not too much. Glow as in fresh, not as in oily. Then all the creams that had different kinds of purpose: pimples, eye bags, dry _and _oily skin and so much more. 

Her hair was short so that was something she was grateful for but still, she had to put some (and by some, a lot) of hairspray so that her hair would stay plump and in place. After that, she could put her lotions and makeup and then, finally her clothes. 

Presentable but _chick_. 

Just like her mother taught her. 

_ Just because you are studying something serious and gray like Law, doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice your femininity. What they think, _ _ doesn't __matter. How you act upon it, does. Now, if only your sister would listen to me... _

Or Brienne. 

That girl was a woman in a giant's body. Taller than life, blonde like the sun and stiff as a stick in the mud. Lovely none the less. Her hair was in a tight ponytail, pulling her skin back making her face wider, no ounce of make-up (what a brave soul) and she would usually wear some out of fashion suits. She remembers one that almost made her drop her books when she saw Brienne. 

It was navy blue, wool suit and the skirt was over the knees. Black flats made her feet look bigger than they were and the buttons on her suit were painted gold. The poor thing looked like she jumped into the closet of her grandma and ran out of the house like that. 

Sansa took pride in her routine. 

What did men have to do? Wake up, shave and get ready in like, what? Half an hour? Less? And still, get the wrong answer in an easy question? With all that free time one would think they would spend it reading a book. Men have it so easy, huh? 

Like, for example, one-time Professor Baelish asked (a very simple question) what were the general types of evidence. Even though class attendance _and _participation were a big influence in their grade at the end of the semester, Sansa didn’t raise her hand. She was too busy writing it down, just so she knows what to expect in the next test. 

Professor Baelish pointed at a male student and the poor fellow stuttered. Maybe he hadn’t had his morning coffee. Or he wasn’t used to being in the spotlight. A weird choice of a career path if that was the case. 

Sansa shook her head as she heard the stuttering and that caught Professor Baelish’s attention. Well, it was the flickering of the light bouncing from her big earrings that caught his attention. 

“Ms. Stark, would you do us the honor?” Sansa looked up; a bit surprised to hear her name. “You seem to know the answer, correct?” 

At that moment she felt the spotlight on her and, if she was a regular girl with a regular childhood, she would have probably acted like the stuttering guy but she was used to it. She was, after all a Stark, the famous girl that got along with the Targaryen, who brought that girl into her house despite what Rhaegar did to Mr. Stark’s sister and let’s not forget the _incident_. 

“I do, Professor,” then he gestured her to speak and she did. 

“Well, the four general types of evidence are as follows, Real Evidence—this the tangible one and the most incriminating. A weapon. Then we have Demonstrative Evidence, some might call it _fact-finders. _It refers to photographs, x-rays, documents, simulations and so on. On third, we have Documentary Evidence which also has documents and written testimonies. And, last but not least, Testimonial Evidence. This one speaks for itself.” 

Sansa then sat down after Professor Baelish nodded and continued talking. She learned, the hard way, that not being prepared was by far, worse for women. It was like she was proving to them that she was dumb or something. Never again. She was a Stark and she was going to be the best. 

Brienne slouched to talk to her after the class was over. Her voice was deep but smooth—not threatening at all for a woman her size. As she got closer to Sansa, Sansa noticed that her ears were not pierced. 

“I was wondering if we could meet at the library to go over the case we were assigned to.” 

“Sure, what hour?” Brienne was about to answer when a pack of guys paused to look at them. 

“Hey, have you been seen such missed match women before? It’s like seeing a Picasso.” the men laughed. “Not sure what’s going on but you just can’t stop looking.” 

“It just doesn’t make sense,” said the other elbowing the first one and chuckling. 

Sansa got up and got up and Brienne was behind her. There was something in the way she walked to made them take a step back. Like a danger they didn’t know was there. As if she had an experience that neither one of them could ever imagine or even cope with. It was in her icy blue eyes (she was nicked name Ice Queen for a reason) and they didn’t notice it until now. Until they were so close to her. 

“Did you hear that, Brienne? We are a piece of art! Untouchable and too much for unoriginal and boring minds. Come along now, we have a case to win.” 

Sansa and Brienne agreed on an hour to meet at the library. 

They were first going to their homes to study for other classes and then meet up around six in order to completely immerse themselves in the case. It was going to be a tense couple of weeks but it was doable. The tricky part was being taken seriously. 

If they took themselves too seriously (which was often on both their parts) they wouldn’t be taken seriously and too laid back was even worse. She believed in justice and Brienne looked like she ate it for breakfast—and breathed it. Sansa had never seen a woman want to change the world as bad as she did. 

There had to be a happy medium in Sansa’s mind. Smart and charming—but not too much or they might consider it in bad taste. No bragging but stand her ground. Show her wit when necessary and show empathy when needed. Not only Sansa and Brienne had to learn everything, but they also had to look the part too. In Sansa’s case no shirt dresses or big belts and flowy scarves but a gray suit with pearl earrings. 

She didn’t know what to do with Brienne. 

When Sansa got back to her room, she took the mail and looked through it until she found one from her mother. There was always a weekly letter from the family telling how everyone was and keeping up with their lives. 

_ Dear Sansa, _

_ I hope this letter finds you in good health. Your father and I were wondering if you have plans to come back home for the summer. We miss you dearly and I believe Robb is coming home too with his wife and son. Everyone is coming for the birthday and we would love to have you. _

_ Rickon and Bran are healthy as ever but they miss you dearly. Bran has been down ever since the accident and sometimes he asks me about you and your city life. I can see in his eyes how he wishes he was there with you and it breaks my heart into a million pieces. _

_ I apologize for bringing the topic again and to sour this letter. _

_ Arya has confirmed she will come too and we will see if she has yet another scar from those riots—I mean, protests that she likes to go and put herself in danger. Wouldn’t expect anything less from that one. Sometimes I wonder what happened? But then again, she has always been so brute with how she lives her life. _

_ Please write to us soon. _

_ With love, _

_ Mom. _

_ P.S. I told your father about Professor Baelish’s offer. _

Sansa took an apple and bit it and kept reading the content. Her body hit her bed as she looked at the ceiling and swallowed the chunk she didn’t fully chew. It hurt. 

The boy is turning ten this year and, for obvious reasons, this time it was a bit tougher to even think about it. Her heart was beating fast as she decided to answer the letter to her mother and confirm that she will in fact go. Sansa missed her family dearly but she always tried to make an excuse to not go. 

There was always that uneasy feeling with just the thought of going back to her childhood home and see the Targaryen mansion beside it. It made her shudder and sweat and uncomfortable. The sound of the gunshot was still inside her mind, like an echo. During the years it softened but it was always there. 

The guilt and love for her family won over her discomfort and sat down on her desk and wrote her letter. 

Daenerys sat as her editor read the notes she had for her new book. 

Her fingers were intertwining with each other, her leg on top of her knee—crossed and her foot going up and down in a rapid movement. The purple eyes scan the office, looking at all the stuff this man had and brought over the years. No matter where she looked, she noticed something new. 

There was a new ancient Dothraki double blade displayed over his head, on his right was a blade (which she assumed was a letter opener but it, in reality, it was an actual blade) where the hilt was a naked woman and, when entering the room, there was a painting of a weeping tree with red leaves in the shape of hands. It was always a new experience coming into his office. 

As he read, he moved his finger over his lips in deep thought. With each turn of the page, Daenerys couldn’t help but glance and study his facial expressions but he never gave her anything. His face was unreadable. She never knew that this man would say and it always made her feel uneasy. On the edge of her seat. 

She did value his opinion—he was her editor after all! And he never sugar-coated anything, which Daenerys appreciated a lot. There was no point is niceties if her books were going to flop. Her love for writing was big but that didn’t mean that she was going to handle some mediocre work. Especially in a male-dominated environment where everyone knows a male author but a few know a female one if lucky. 

“I have to say,” he finally broke the silence, took out his spectacles and leaned back as he laid the papers on his wooden desk. Daenerys forgot she stopped breathing. “this is quite the idea.” 

“It’s just a rough draft. It’s still a work in progress.” she didn’t know what those words meant but Daenerys still felt the need to make excuses. 

“Was this because of the news of the girl that was found murdered?” 

“It’s much more personal than you think, Mister Selmy.” 

“But it inspired it.” 

“I did read the news, yes.” 

He leaned back and scratched his white beard. 

“Your readers,” he said with a sigh. “Your readers would want to read the book.” 

“... I sure hope so.” 

“But the problem lies in what demographic your readers are,” Daenerys looked away for a moment. 

Of course, she had thought about this. Her readers were usually young females of the age of fourteen to twenty-five. A mystery drama of a brutally murdered girl wasn’t something most parents and young girls would want to read. It didn’t necessarily mean that she would lose her readers but it did means that maybe this book would flop. She could see already the critics tearing down her work. _ The Red Comet _was her first book and it was successful because of her own hard work and her editor’s. 

And she knew that there are books that don’t sell as well as the others but that only made her doubt herself more. If the old and new readers don’t like this book then, in the future, no one would buy her new projects. Now that scared her. Again, she loves writing and that would never change but this was her source of income after all. 

“But I am not opposed to the idea,” he took the papers again and gave them to her. “But I have three requests,” 

Daenerys’ heart leaped in excitement. It was a rush that made her a bit dizzy. 

“Yes. Whatever it is, I’ll do it,” she said eagerly. 

Mister Selmy chuckled. 

“Though I appreciate the excitement, which means that you will make this book with as much passion as _ The Red Comet, _please listen to them,” 

Daenerys was literally now at the edge of her seat, her fingers crumpling the edges of her papers, her purple eyes staring directly at her editor, waiting in anticipation. 

“I understand that if I do or not give you the green light for this book, I am pretty sure you will write it anyway. I can see your gears moving as we speak, but it’s about the publishing part. The first request or requirement—however you wish to see it, is to soften up the book a bit. No excessive blood, no unnecessary violence and give it a touch of Magical Realism,” 

“But it’s a mystery drama about a girl found brutally murdered and I can write other genres other than Fantasy,” 

“I know you can and probably better than most men I’ve come across in my lifetime and Magical Realism isn’t the same as Fantasy, you know that,” 

“Of course, I know that.” 

“Please, don’t get defensive.” 

“I’m not.” 

“I don’t want the book to be close to the actual murder, Ms. Stormborn. It would in great distaste that you would use this poor girl’s death in this way. You may take inspiration but you have to be delicate about the matter.” 

Daenerys couldn’t help but blush in embarrassment. She didn’t actually write the exact details that the news offered but, now that she realized it, anyone could tell that it was the girl from the newspaper. She knew what it was like. Her image, her name, her misfortune, as material for consumption for the media. 

But the difference here was that the girl will never be present to say anything to say for herself. 

“Can we agree on that?” Daenerys slowly nodded. “The girl can have her red hair—you can use that as an element for the Magical Realism but please stay away from the actual facts,” again, she nodded. 

“The second one?” 

“I need you to write another fantasy book.” 

“At the same time?” Daenerys’ eyes were wide in shock. 

She has _never _done that before—well, she had to make different stories for different classes (and sometimes for the same day) at the same time, but those were _short stories_. Not two _books. _

_ “ _The length you chose to write them is up to you. You can make one that would be, roughly, five hundred to six hundred pages and the other two hundred to three hundred pages. It really doesn’t matter how many because in the end, after I am finished with them, the number will change.” 

“Why another fantasy book?” 

“You make it sound like you have written a thousand fantasy books. You made _one_, Ms. Stormborn, and your readers want more. I am pretty sure you get your fair share of fan mail written by people who love your book and can’t wait for you to make another. You need to give your readers options. They can be, at most, one month apart, but you can’t give them this new genre and expect them to read it with those kinds of expectations. If you give them another book that they want, they might give the other one a chance.” 

Daenerys’ head was full of ideas and characters for her new book and just thinking that she has to come up with another plot for a different genre made her question a few things. And what made her worry was that people would tell which one she was forced to make. How can she make something with love when she didn’t have a choice? 

“I know what you’re thinking, but you are a writer—and a good one but you have to write. I know you have been doing the meet and greet at different book stores and you barely have time—which I am about to talk about that in a moment, but this is your job.” 

The awkward silence was suffocating. 

“You’re still young and fairly new in the writing community but you’ll see that, in a few years, it was necessary. Now, the third requirement you will probably not like but your manager gave me no other choice. He asked me to take any opportunity and I guess this is it.” Daenerys could tell that he didn’t want to say it and he didn’t know how to say it. “Well, I will publish the book if you go to King’s Landing.” 

“No.” her words came out much faster than she anticipated. It was like an involuntary reaction. 

“Ms. Stormborn...” he sighed. 

Why did she say no so quickly? Didn’t she had a fight with her brother because she, herself, think it’s time to go? To face her past? Now that she has something to gain it was becoming bigger and closer to reality. That made her hands tremble a bit. 

“Would you think about it?” his voice was tender and it made Daenerys feel like she wasn’t as cornered as much as she was. 

“Yes.” 

“Thank you.” 

When Daenerys arrived home, dinner was already made. Her brother was drinking a bit of wine and was adding a bit more when he heard her enter. It smelled really good and she didn’t realize how hungry she was until that moment. 

“I’m home,” she said as she placed her bag on the couch. 

“How was the meeting?” She really didn’t want to talk about it. 

If she tells him what exactly happened then no one would enjoy the food. Daenerys knew that there would be a moment where she did have to tell him but not right now. All she wanted was a bit of wine and good food. Her worries would still be there tomorrow so there was no reason to spoil the dinner. 

“There were some requirements that Mr. Selmy needed from me and I think I’m going to comply with.” 

“Can I ask what are those requirements?” he turned around. The glass of wine in one hand and a cracker on the other. His cheeks were pink. Daenerys told him excluding the third requirement. “Hm. You’re going to be very busy then.” 

“You have no idea...” she sat down and couldn’t help but massaged her temples. 

Then Rhaegar patted her shoulder and placed a glass of wine next to her. It was filled more than a half. She needed it. 

“By the way, you got a letter from your pen pal. I left it on your desk.” 

“Thank you, I’ll read it later.” 

After tossing and turning on her bed, Daenerys groaned and just looked at the darkness of her room. Even though her editor didn’t give her a specific time for her to take the offer or not (because it wasn’t like she wasn’t going to write a book. Just not the one that she wanted) she still felt the pressure of answering as soon as possible because, well, that’s how business works. 

And she couldn’t believe that her manager was so sneaky. There was definitely going to be a very serious phone call early in the morning. 

But Daenerys wanted to write this story so badly. There was something in the back of her mind that wanted to keep producing ideas. That murdered girl flickered something inside her and now there was no other idea coming up, which was going to be a problem. 

And also, she wanted people to read it. 

It was something that made her very excited. 

And that meant one thing and one thing only. 

The next morning, she called her editor. 

“Good morning, Mr. Selmy.” she held tight the handle of her phone, the long curly cord around her hand. She looked around a bit weary even though she knew her brother was not home. 

“Good morning, Ms. Stormborn. How can I help you today?” there was a pause. 

Daenerys could feel her beating heart running faster. This was definitely not an easy choice and voicing it was even harder. 

“... it’s about the requirements, Mr. Selmy.” 

“All right,” he waited for her to continue. 

“I will accept, with a few conditions. I am sure you would agree with them.” 

“Very well, let me hear them.” 

“I will write both books but my first idea will be my first priority but I will promise that both books will be written with equal determination.” 

“Sounds fair,” a smile appeared on her lips. “and what about King’s Landing?” 

Another pause but shorter than the other. 

“I’ll inform my manager that I will accept the invitation to King’s Landing as long as I get to choose the book stores. To be frank, and I hope both of you respect this, I don’t have a lot of fond memories of that place and I would very much like to get this over with.” her tone was strong but a bit desperate. 

“I understand. I am pretty sure your manager will be over the moon. He told me he chose the summer for this in order to get more people in.” 

“Yes. He told me that already.” 

“Perfect. And I expect that before then I’ll have a few chapters of that story of yours. You must really want to write and I am really looking forward to it.” 

“So am I.” 

At that same moment Sansa had woken up really early in order to get ready and drop her letter in the mail collection box. The morning was beautiful, perfect for a picnic and not be inside a classroom full of condescending men. 

The meeting with Brienne went pretty smoothly. The case was about gender discrimination in the workplace (talk about on the nose, huh.) and both of them revised every single evidence that their professor gave them and, in the end, they came up with a satisfactory way to win it. 

No one could see the worry in Sansa’s eyes over her big, white sunglasses. But she took a deep breath and dropped the letter. It took her a bit to complete it when she decided to finally write it. 

At first, she answered her mother’s previous comments about the family and then wrote her final decision about what (in her mind) really mattered. It read as follows, 

_ Dear mother, _

_ I am living perfectly fine here in Essos and in good shape. The city is wonderful and lively almost like it has a mind and soul of its own—though it can have its ups and downs. One thing I miss about home is the lack of urban noise. _

_ I can’t wait to take Bran with me and show him around. I am pretty sure he would love it. And maybe Rickon too. Rob has been sending me letters but he didn’t mention that he was coming home, which surprises me. He is always so busy. But this made realize that I miss him and I want to see him. _

_ Even radical Arya. I miss her too and I can’t wait to see her and have some very interesting conversations with her. Maybe we would agree on something for once. _

_ So, to answer your question, mother, yes, I will be planning on coming home for the summer and see what father has to say about the offer. The fact that you didn’t mention his thoughts about the matter makes me think that maybe he doesn’t approve. I know Professor Baelish and __father __went to the same college together. _

_ I can’t believe our little Jon Aegon is turning ten years old! How time flies! _

_ Anyway, I’ll let you know about the details of my flight once I _ _ purchase __them. _

_ With Love, _

_ Sansa _ _ Stark__. _

When she turned to walk, someone slammed into her hard making her stager back and knocking her big sunglasses on the ground. She never realized that “bumping” into a man would be so painful. 

“Oh, my gods. I am so sorry, are you ok?” 

Sansa took her glasses and what this man dropped. He had a copy of _ The Red Comet _ and inside it were some envelopes. She picked them up without giving it a second glance and gave them to him. 

“I am fine. Don’t worry about it.” she was still in pain. 

“Are you sure?” she nodded. 

“I hope your book isn’t damaged.” 

He was wearing big sunglasses too and a black, leather flat cap. There were a few strands of pale blond hair on the side of his ears and for some reason, there was something about his face that reminded him of someone but she couldn’t put her finger on it. 

“Thankfully it isn’t,” he said with a sigh of relief. “I think I would _ die _if it got wet or something.” 

“Good thing it’s sunny outside,” she gave him a courteous smile. “And It’s a good book.” 

“You’ve read it?” he took a step closer eagerly. 

“...Yes. I read it recently and it even made me cry.” that seemed to satisfy him. 

“Such a sad ending, right?” Sansa nodded. 

Then he opened his mouth to say something but Sansa looked at her watch (a bit too quickly) and said, “Well, I am late for class. Bye!” and left. 

The man watched her as she walked away and disappeared with the crowd. He clenched the book tight to his chest until his knuckles turned white. Then a crooked smile appeared in his face and started laughing. People around him looked at him weird but continued to mind their business. 

“Oh, Princess Stella. Oh, Princess Stella. Oh, oh, oh, Princess Stella.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was shorter than previous ones but it set things in motion.  
Tell me what you guys thought about it!  
Thank you for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> That ending, though.  
I decided to make this story darker.  
Hope that's okay!


End file.
